Apparatus for making pulp articles.



M. L. KBYBS.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PULP ARTICLES.

APPLIOATIOH FILED MAY 8, 1908.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

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flxbcesses:

M. L. KEYES. APPARATUS FOR MAKING PULP ARTICLES.

' I APPLICATION FILED MAY 8,1908. 908,577. Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

M. L. KEYES.

APPARATUS r012 MAKING PULP ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1908.

Patented Jan.5, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

M. L. K'EYES. APPARATUS FOR MAKING PULP ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED M4Y 6, 1908.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN L. KEYES, 0F FAIRFIELD, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO KEYES FIBRE MUT, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

COMBANY, or SHAW APPARATUS F03 MAKING PULP ARTICLES To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN L. KEYES, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fairfield, in the county of Somerset and State of Maine, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Making Pulp Articles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to an apparatus for making pulp articles.

In my prior patents No. 740,023, granted September 29, 1903, No. 759,616, granted May 10, 190-1, and No. 788,138, granted April 25, 1905, I have described and illustrated preferred forms of, embodiment of such an apparatus. Such apparatus comrises a traveling mold having a lurality of aces adapted to form the artic e between them, means to supply suitable pulp to the mold, and means to press the mold-faces together at a point farther on in the travel of said mold, whereby the pulp which has been delivered to the mold is cle of the desired shape.

The present invention relates particiilarly' I have found it necessary to regulate or I adjust the amount of pressure applied to the moldunder various conditions, such as the quality of the pulp and the kind of article being formed. The present invention provides means whereby such adjustment or regulation of the pressure can be readily and accurately secured, and at the same, time the pressurebe exerted through a yielding means so that no damage or injury can he done to the machine in case of any hard foreign substance com'ng between the effective portions of the compressing means. have also found, as iiidicated'in the before-mentioned patents, that it is best to have the molds travel in a hurve, and preferably in a circular path. This involves'the movement of the end of the compressor along an arc of this path, and also about a center out of saidpath. The presentmvention vincludes-the means for securing this eculiar movement.

ihis mventionalso inc udes' other features and improvements m the compressing means,

and the invention as a whole he "more Specification of Letter! Patent. Application filed. lay a, 1908. Serial No. 431,667.

pressed into an. arti- -helow the level of the fioor. ranged cross-bars A are shown resting upon Patented 3'an. 5, 1909.

fully described and set forth in the accompanying specification and drawings, and will be articularly pointed out in the claims.

e drawings indicate a form of apparatus I of general type similar to that illustrated and described in the above-mentioned patents.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the a paratus with some of the parts omitted an without going into detail, but illustrating the position of the compressing device. Fi 2 IS a side elevation of the complressing devlce, the view being taken norma y to the plane of said device, and being partially in cross-section and with a ortion of the device broken away, and showing the mold in position receivmg the maximum pressure. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 2, taken at right-angles to the plane of illustration of'Fig. 2, partially in cross-"section, and with portions of the device broken away. Fig. i is a front elevation of the roller end of the compressor device. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the guiderway ot the compressor I have shown for purposes of illustration an apparatus similar in general features to that ustrated in the above-mentioned patents, in which there are a series of traveling molds, each provided with two complemental separable mold faces, adapted to form therebetween a dished or hollow article, such as a pie-plate. These molds are shown as mounted on. a rotary carrier, having a plurality of arms, one for each mold, and the circular path of travel of the molds lies through a vat to which liquid pulp is supplied. T efaces of the mold separate before entering the pulp vat, and the pulp is supplied by. the aid of suction to the mold. Upon leaving the vat the mold-faces are brought together and then enter the comressing device, which squeezes out mechanreally a large amount of water from the pulp and leaves the articles, in. such shape that upon the subsequent opening of the mold they may he removed. therefrom by the aid of compressed air, anda suitable pick-0E device.

The pulp vat is illustrated at A extending Suitably arsupporting beams in the door.

'f to. run out. of the draining gravity.- '1 have found that the water extion, and that otherwise unsatisfactory re- 5 pression, as set forth in said patents.

The mold carrier comprises a chambered hub'mounted to rotate on said shaft, a series of radial supporting armsB connected there with, and concentric circular rings B, B, Binniting the radial arms. The outer circular ring B 'has fast thereto and serves to support the fixed member 0 of the molds,

which are herein shown as comprising onefixed and one movable member. The circular ring B also carries on its outer periphery a gear B", and on its exterior opposite the mold a raised frusto-conical surface B".

One of the cross-bars A has mounted thereon a drivingfhaft D, carrying fast and loose pulleys D, and a beveled pinion D, intermeshing with a beveled gear D on 'a shaft D, parallel to the shaft of the mold carrier. The shaft'D" carries a pinion D", intermeshin with the gear B on the mold carrier. his mechanism serves to drive the mold carrier to cause the molds to travel in a circular path down throu h the pulp vat and up between the 'awsof t e compressing device, as more fu y described in the above- 30 mentioned patents.

The compressing device comprises a yokesha ed frame E, preferably ofiron orsteel, ho ow in form, and provided with a web E in the plane of its jaws, so that it is capable of resisting the large pressure of manytons which it is desired to secure for the o eration of expelling the water from the artic es being molded.

The molds mounted on the end of the radial arms B, are each rovided with a draining chamber C, descri ed in the above-mentioned Patent No. 759,616, and so shaped that when the mold in its travel arrives at the point when the mold members are to se arate the tendency of all the waterin the mold member attached to the ring B, will be chamber C by llingeompression should be ap lied to the mold when the mold has reache this posisults are reason of some of the water which is expe ed from the pulp article by the pressure running back from the draining chamber onto the pulp article and being absorbed thereby after the compression has ceased, so that the result of the pressure is by so much neutralized. I therefore have devised a compressing device in which the I yoke-frame, such as just described, is mounted at such-a ploint in the path of travel of the mold that t e water expelled cannot run back on to the article from which it has been expelled. In the. construction illustrated i ltbis is securedgby-placing the plane of the also, in order to prevent unnec com ressing device yoke-frame, or the plane in w ch the pressure takes place, indicated at E E on a plane radial to the mold carrier and-at an angle to the horizontal, equal to that which the mold must attain in its travel in order to have any water in the mold or draining chamber have a tendency to run out therefrom under the action of gravity. In the particular construction illustrated this angle should be slightly greater than the angle ormed by the inclined wall of the draining chamber C with the axis of its supporting arm B.

The compressing device, as in the patents abovereferred'to, comprises a roller member and a s cam or com ressor member between w 'ch members t e mold passes and is compressed or squeezed.

The roller member of the present invention com rises a plurality of rolls to support the mol during the squeezing action, because I find that it is desirable'to support the mold at a Eurality of points, and thus secure substanti y equal pressure on all points of the mold, and a steady and even pressure when the mold is between the members of the compressing. device. The enormous pressure necessa to apply makes it essential that the mol in plassing through the complpessing device s all, move steadily and mly without being twisted or racked. It is also desirable to adjust the rolls bodily toward and from the mold so as to provide for any wear and tear occurring. It is necessary essary friction, tohave the rolls on axes normal to the path of the mold, and also to have all e a points of the peripheries of the rolls an mol to move at t e same rate of s eed. As one means of securing these resu ts I have devised the following construction. The outer jaw E, of the yoke-frame E, is formed with an inchned face E. A roll-su porting frame F is formed with a correspondingly mchned face, and is mounted by means of suitable screws F on the inclined'face E of the jaw E. This construction enables the roll-carrying sup for re air ysimpIlFtah'ng out the screws F and s 'ding the r0 -supporting frame down wardly. 1

The roll-supqprting frame F carries a pluralit of rolls herein shown as three innum er. The shafts F of these rolls are 'ournaled at each endin beari F, in the ort and its rolls to be removed.

ame F and removable journa caps F are provided at each bearing so that access may readily be had thereto.

The axes of the rolls F are arranged 'n'ormally to the therefore in t shaft A. I

The peripheries the raised surface B of the ring B of the mold carrier, and are of frusto-conical shape path of travel of the mold, and

of the rolls bear against.

I e case illustrated radial to-the 15 tween the jaws of the yoke E, an

60 one end to cease? to con with the surface B. These surfaces are made conical in order that all en gaging points may move at the same rate of speed, a result which it will be seen will be secured by forming these surfaces on cones is shown at G. One end of this member is 'inonnted in: the jaw E, of the yoke-frame E, opposite the jaw E. In the compressing operation the free end of the-arm G comes into contact with the mold as it starts to ass heas the movement of the mold continues the arm G swinging with the mold into the plane of the yoke produces a powerful dpressure or compressi-n action on the mol lbe seen that the free end of the arm G in following the mold must travel in the path in which the mold is traveling,-and must at the same time travel about in a path concentric with its own pivoted end. It must also, when the mold has passed from between the jaws, return to the position at which it first enga ed the mold, so as to be ready to act upon t e following mold in the same manner. Ifind it essential, therefore, in order to secure steady and effective action, to guide the free end'of the compressing arm G. For this pu ose I have arranged a guideway, herein s own as supported from the yokeframe E.

The yoke E hasdependin therefrom a bracket H, to which is bolte the twoart guide H H, between the parts of whicn is formed the guideway H This guideway H as shown in Fig. 5, is curved on a path con- 40 centric with the path of travel of the molds,

and hence in the construction illustrated on an arc concentric with the shaft A This guideway H is al 0, as shown in Fig. 3', curved on a path concentric with the pivoted end of the swinging compression arm G.

The arm G near its forward end is provided with a slide G referabl of some antifriction material, an herein s own as made up of two anti-friction plates fitted to ride against the walls of said guideway.

After a mold has passed from between the jaws of the compression device the swinging arm G will fall back, guided by the guideway, to its starting osition, and-to diminish the shock and jar provide at the lower end of the guideway a bufl er, herein shown as a block. of wood H To insure the return of the free end of the arm G to its starting position, I also provide a spring K, connected at t e arm G and at the other end to a rojection E", from" the yoke-frame E.

he. pivoted end of the compressor arm G is universally mounted in the yoke-frame E, and for that purpose is herem shown as a ball-head G, resting in a socket-piece G",

mounted in a head G, fitted to slide longitudinally in the jaw E. The head G is vided with an extended shaft G", W 'ch passes-through a cap G screw-threaded into the end of the jaw E". The shaft G is screwthreaded at its outer end, and has mounted thereon a hand-nut G. Powerful coiled sprin s L L surround the shaft G, and the cap It will thus be seen that by means of the hand-nut G any desired degree of compression may be given to the springs G, G, so that their compressing force may be adjusted as desired. This means for adjusting the power of the springs will alter the osition of the free end of the arm G, w ich must always be the same, and hence it is necessary to provide for an adjustment of the arm G pivotally. This is secured by screwing the cap G into and out of the head as required, and thereby positioning the free end ofthe arm G.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine for molding pulp articles, a traveling mold formed of a plurality of son arable mold faces, means for causing said mold to travel in a curved path, a yokeshaped frame mounted transversely of said curve to allow the mold to pass between its jaws, a plurality of rolls journaled in one jaw with their axes normal to said curve anc with their peripheries on said curve, a compressor arm yieldingly and universally mounted in the o posite j aw.

' the opposite jaw, and means for guiding the free end of said compressor arm in the path of travel of said mold .when in engagement with said rolls.

3. In a machine for molding pulp articles, a traveling mold formed of a plurality of separable mold faces, means for causing said mo d to trave in a curved path, a yoke-shaped frame mounted transversely of said curve to allow the mold to pass between its jaws, a

plurality of rolls journaled in one jaw with I their axes normal to said curve and with their peripheries on said curve, a compressor arm yieldingly and universally mounted 1n the opposite jaw, a uideway to receive and guide the end of sai compressor arm in the path of travel of said mold when in engagement with said rolls.

\ 4. Ina machine for molding pulp articles, a traveling mold formed of a p urality of separable mold faces, means for causing said mold to travel in a curved path,a okeshaped frame mounted transversely 0 said curve to allow the mold-to pass between-its jaws, a plurality of rolls journaled in one jaw with their axes normal to said curve and with their peripheries on said curve, a compressor arm yieldingly and universally mounted in the o posite jaw, a guideway curved concentrical y to the pivot of the compressor arm and the axis of motion of said mold, said guideway receiving and guiding the end of said compre'ssofarm when in engagement with said rolls.

5. In a machine for moldin pulp articles, a traveling mold formed of'a p iirality of separable mold faces, means for causing said mold to travel in a curved path, a yokeshaped frame mounted transversely 0 said curve to allow the mold to pass bet-weenitsjaws, a plurality of rolls journaled in one jaw with their axes normal to said curve and with their peripheries on said curve, a compressor arm yiel ingly and universally mounted in the opposite 'aw, a guideway to receive and guide the end of said compressor arm in the path of travel of said'mold when in en a ecated at the lower endof said guideway.

' arm yielding mold to travel ina curved path, a

ment With said rolls, anda bufi'er bloc o- 6. In a machine for molding pulp articles, a traveling mold formed of a plurality of separable mold faces, means for causing siaiid o eshaped frame mounted transversely 0 said curve to allow the mold to pass between its jaws, a plurality of rolls journaled in one aw with their axes normal to said curve and with their peripheries on said curve, the contacting surfaces. of said rolls and said mold being frustums of cones having a common apex, a compressor arm yieldingly and universally mounted in the op osite jaw.

7. In a machine for molding pu p articles, a traveling mold formed of a plurality of separable mold faces, means for causing said mold to travel in a curved-path, a okeshaped frame mounted transversely 0 said; curve to allow the mold to pass between its jaws, a plurality of rolls journaled in one aw' with their axes normal to said curve, means for adjusting said roll's bodily toward and from the lpath of said mold, a compressor y' and universally mounted in the opposite aw.-

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8. In a machine for molding pulp articles,-

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9. In a machine for molding pulp articles, a traveling mold formed of a plurality of separable mold faces, a compressin device to receive and compress the mol in its. travel, one member of said device being a swinging "compressor arm, a head, a universal connection between said head and the end of said compressor arm, a spring behind said head, means for adjustin of said s ring, and means for a iusting said head an swin ing arm longitu inally.

10. In 'a mac efor molding pulp articles, a traveling mold formed of a plurality of separable mold faces, a compress" device to receive and compress the mol in its travel, one member of said device being a swin g compressor arm, a head, a universa connectlon between said head and the end of said compressor arm, a ca a spring mounted between said head an said cap, means for adjusting the head with respect to the ca to va the power of the spring,

'means w ereby t e head, ca and intermediate s ring ma be adjuste bodily to position t e end-o the sw' ing arm.

11. In a machine for mo ding pulp articles, a traveling moldjformed of a plurality of separable mold faces, means for causing said mold to travel in an upright curved path, a compressing device mounted in the path of travel of the mold-to receive and compress the mold, the angle of location of the said the power compressing device being substantially equal L. KEYES.

Witnesses:

MABEL PARTELOW, FREDERICK S. GREENLEAF.

to or greater than the angle of inclination of the mold at which all water in the mold has 

